2016 -> A BOLD & CRAZY Year Of Many Firsts

Boy oh boy do we have plans for this year, BOLD plans, CRAZY plans. 2016 is shaping up to be our most “different” year yet which is both exciting and a tad frightening at the same time, as deviations from the norm always tend to be.

Things might get a little nutty for us in 2016. Pic from simpsoncrazy.com

Our big picture goals are certainly BIG. We’re going to do stuff we’ve teased about doing forever, we’re going to achieve things we’ve procrastinated about for years and we’re going to see places we’ve always wanted to see, but have never been. Some of this stuff will be fodder for future blog posts (fingers & paws crossed), but in travel terms this means two basic things -> we’re going to travel many more miles than usually do and we’re going in a direction we haven’t been for a looong time.

Our planning style will be fairly detailed (as it always is, being the type of people we are), but we will also remain jello, sufficiently wobbly that should the winds change or unexpected family matters come into play (which is always a potential) we’ll be ready to chuck them out the window and do something completely different.

Hellooooo Canada

So, what are we up to??????

The newest thing on the menu this year is that we’re planning to sneak into Canada. It’ll be our first foray outside the lower 48 with “the beast”, and the timing couldn’t be better. The Canadian $$ is waaaay down (so sorry to the Canadian Snowbirders who are suffering with the low $$ this winter, but it sure does make Canada a tempting summer destination for us Southerners) and diesel is cheaper than ever. If there was ever a time to go across the border and rack up some Canadian miles, it’s definitely now.

Yes, I’m trying to keep calm about this whole going East thing

The next BIGGEST thing on the menu in 2016 is that we’re going. {{{gasp}}} {{shock}} EAST. Those of you who follow the blog know that we’re pretty dedicated Western-State RVers and we haven’t been past the Mississippi since our first year on the road.

There’s a multitude of reasons we’ve decided to do it this year, a big one of which is family and family health. Without going into more details, we’ve decided it’s time to spend the winter in Florida. Also my side of the family (dad, sister + fiancee) are thinking of flying over from Europe to join us for Christmas. The Eastern-side of the USA is the perfect meeting point.

Yes it’s a HUGE switch for us, and yes we won’t be able to boondock out East (our camping style will have to change), but we’ve decided to do it nonetheless. Also, this will set us up for maybe seeing some of the Eastern side of the USA in early 2017 before we dive back West.

So, this is potentially how our 2016 travels are shaping up:

SPRING & SUMMER -> In Spring our very loose plan is to travel north along the coast of California and Oregon. We drove the CA coast many times pre-RV, but this will be the first time with “the beast”. We’re going to hit as many dog-friendly coastal spots as we can going north until we get to the WA border. Then we’ll probably cross WA fairly quickly with the aim of getting into Canada sometime early summer. This should get us into the North at just about the right season (weather-wise) and allow us to bum around the Western portion of the country for most of the summer. After that we’ll drop back down into the USA somewhere around Montana/Glacier National Park and enjoy some of the Big Sky state before driving through North Dakota and Minnesota. All 3 of these states will be completely NEW for us, so we should have lots of exciting stuff to explore.

There are more lighthouses in MI than ANY other state

FALL & WINTER -> Having spent the spring and summer up north, our next plan is to drop into Michigan for fall 2016. This is yet another new (for us) state and fall should be the perfect time to go. Plus it’s the state with the most lighthouses!!!! The latter alone has been calling to us for years, but we’ve never heeded the calling, mostly because we’ve spent the last 4 summers on the Oregon/Washington Coast. However, now that we’re going EAST, it’s going to be right in our path of travel and this time we want to make it happen. We’re not sure which “side” of the UP we’re going to travel (yet), but our goal is to hit some sweet State Parks and lots of lighthouses on the way down. After Michigan we’re going to try meander slowly south, hopefully snagging a few more gems along the way (can you say Kentucky Bourbon Trail?!) before we end up in Florida for the winter. At that point we’re planning to store the RV, move into a rental for a few months and enjoy some dedicated family time before the start of 2017.

PHEW!! I told you this was going to be a BIG year! And this is just on the travel planning side! We’ve got more plans on some major RV upgrades and changes that are currently being worked and which will likely happen within the next few months. So not only will we (hopefully) have some pretty snazzy upgrades, but we’ll be testing them out in some very new places.

So, any recommendations from our readers? For Western Canada are there any boondocking opportunities up there for us southerners? For those of you that have traveled through MT, ND, MI & WI do you have some favorite off-the-beaten-track spots along our route that you’d like to share? As usual our preference is green/natural/scenic spots that are dog-friendly (always key for us). Are there any “must see” areas you would recommend? We’d love your ideas below!

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I live in WI. We do take our motorhome into the UP as well as lower Michigan. The Michigan State Park system has some excellent parks. You are used to boondocks get so no sewer connection will not bother you. They have dump stations and usually electric and some water but water again is available. I suggest you do not miss Traverse City and the western coast of Michigan. The UP begins to get cold on or about Oct 1 so go through there in early September. As you get closer I may be able to help with specifics and I am sure others have ideas.

In bc there are many beautiful forestry campsites that are beautiful for a small fee. 12.00. Downie creek near revel stoke ,mica damm area is fabulous. In the kootenays around new Denver, trout lake and nakusp you will also find places to park. On the monashee between nakusp and lumpy at the summit there is also a spot. These may not be near towns but are beautiful. If you go north to Smithers there are always spots along the route. We are from the okanagan in bc and know you will be happy you have visited. Cheers enjoy

I recommend avoiding I-95 as much as possible. Take I-81 down, I-95 for a while if you absolutely have to and use I-75 to go South…even if it means going out of your way a bit. I took I-95 from PA to FL last month. Total death trap and too often (especially in SC) a parking lot. Might be a good time to practice being a Shunpiker!

I agree, 200%, with the above commenter…..stay off I-95 as much as possible. Parts of it are OK, most other parts are just dreadful. As is I-75 in central Florida. Its going to be a real change for you! We’re still struggling with next winter – Florida or the west. Good to be able to have such problems to ponder but..

I’ll concur and there are PLENTY of much nicer routes than the interstates that actually don’t make a significant increase in travel time. Also avoid I-80 in OH unless you are looking fora cheap way to lose your teeth.
For instance Rte 17 going south in GA is better than 95.

BTW, while others may like it… I found highway 12 From Lolo, MT to Lewiston, ID a bit of a disappointment, nothing but lost in a bunch of tree in a big swath of forest. 5 hours of looking at tree bark and thick forest was enough for me. Might be fun in a sports car, but there was a lot of road kill and dead deer on my trip through, saddening how fast everyone else drives on that road, wildlife doesn’t stand a chance.

Love your bold, crazy, flexible plans. We are considering popping up into Canada too and then dropping back to Idaho before/after Ironman Coeur d’lane. Be fun if we connected in Vancouver or the Calgary Stampede.
Cheers for a Happy New Year!

If you’re in the hood, spend some time at Port San Luis harbor, Avila Beach CA. You’ll love the mornings at Dog Beach. Off leash til 10am. Amazing sunrises.

The campground is going to change radically in 2017, adding 150 new sites on the hillside above the harbor and taking out the beach side sites, making them day use areas. So, visit before it becomes overly commercialized and crowded.

Yeah, look up “Harbor Terrace Project” on the Port’s website for details. Kinda coo, but kinda bummed that the whole area will be changing that much. Really going to miss the dry camping at Nobi and Woodyard when those sites go away… Travel safe.

The bid winner for the Harbor Terrace Project in Avila pulled out in August 2015; the contract was offered to the other bidder, but I believe the project is currently on hold. Even if the Harbor Terrace project goes ahead, it’s not likely to start for a long time. There is a limited number of RV sites in Avila/Port San Luis, but I suggest checking locally for the most current status.

That is different for you guys. How fun! We love Montana, and actually need to get back there this summer. We honeymoon in Glacier for 2 weeks and it was perfect! We are currently driving the 101, as I type this we are almost out of Oregon and in to California.

Wheeling It on the east coast?! I’ll believe it when I see it – ha! Just teasing of course – there’s a good chance we’ll be on the east coast again towards the end of the year so I like this plan of yours quite well. We LOVED Montana – Glacier NP (of course) is a must do….for off-the beaten path, plan a trip to Polebridge for at least a day. Tiny, funky, little town on all generator power with a really good, fun restaurant, incredible views, and a bakery with huckleberry bear claws. YUM. I believe you can camp there, but we just day tripped it. Also check out the cute town of Philipsburg. There are a few NF campgrounds nearby that are great….there’s also a very small, 3-spot self service RV park right in the town. We had fun staying there because we could just wander right into and around town on foot. I’ve never RVed in Michigan, but in another lifetime I dated a guy who was from there, so I spent a lot of time there. It’s a beautiful state and I’m actually trying to talk Deas into going there this summer. If you do come through GA all of the state parks are great, albeit a little pricey. Hopefully we can meet up with somewhere along your route!

Great tips, all of them! I’ll definitely make a note and will likely be picking your brains for more, as I know you guys are super savvy in Eastern RVing. It’ll be fun to maybe meet-up out East for a change.

Looking forward to future posts on your 2016 plans! We are newbies to the RV world purchasing our first coach in 2015. As we are still working full-time, haven’t been able to get out much yet, however, our goal is to retire by end of 2016 and spend much more time on the road. I recently came across your site and have enjoyed your posts and the wealth of information provided. We also travel with our two dogs (our boys) so your posts with pet friendly places are so valuable! Can’t wait to read more on your adventures! Best wishes, Carol

Sounds like a great plan! I’m looking forward to following along and adding to my “Cool Places From Wheelin It” folder! Just out of curiosity, why are you cutting inland in the northern part of CA?
Once again, thanks for all of the hard work and time you put into your blog. I really appreciate it!
Paula

That whole section is still very jello, but basically there are portions of the coastal hwy around Fort Bragg area that are best for smaller rigs. We will probably do an out/back trip to Fort Bragg, but will avoid taking the worst of the coastal route around there.

Good to know! We are in the process of planning our 2016 travels and up the CA coast is one of the options. Since we too have a “beast” and are pretty new to RVing, always good to learn which areas might not be big rig friendly.

It’s true some coastal roads are small and windy. Big rigs have to stick to the 101. We live at Rio Dell on the 101. Sorry to say also we urge caution regarding Eureka, about 25mls further north, people who have ‘BoondockersWelcomed’ with us have reported (a) losing locked-up bicycles at Walmarts, (b) the waterfront area can be ‘dodgy’, (c) police shootings experienced on the 101 running through the city. Though these things can happen ‘anywhere’ and we personally haven’t had problems there.

That’s a wonderful and ambitious plan. Perhaps one day ‘the beast’ can be pointed all the way to the northeast coast; lots of lighthouses over here. The low fuel prices are a boon for all travelers. Safe travels!

You should consider Copper Harbor in Michigan’s upper peninsula. For the best Fall colors you will want to be in the UP in September. When you get to Marquette shoot down to Escanaba and follow US-2 to the St. Ignace. M-28 East of Marquette is pretty boring. US-2 near Lake Michigan is more scenic. The west coast of the lower peninsula is better that the east coast… IMO. Be sure to stop in Leland (Leelenau Peninsula) and visit fish town. The Cove restaurant in Leland has the best seafood chowder.

Very exciting plans for 2016. We have been followers since 2010. In Michigan must sees include Porcupine Mountains, Pictured Rocks and the Keewenaw Peninsula. UP has some great casino parking with free electric but the state parks want to charge you for 2 entrance fees when you bring a toad. At least we found those things in 2010. And Fall starts early in the UP.

I live in Minnesota and we’ve camped in just about every state park so I can give you a few tips for the state. I’d highly recommend spending at least one night in Itasca State Park. It’s where the mighty Mississippi river starts and has great biking, hiking and kayaking. Plus it’s just a great place to rest and regroup. Also, it’s not on your map, but you must spend a couple of days on the north shore of Minnesota. It’s the most scenic part of our state. Unfortunately, that also means it’s pretty busy and camping reservations are a must in the summer. Temperance River State Park is one of the few with hook ups and is able to handle bigger rigs. The other park I’d recommend is the city park in Grand Marais. It can handle any size, has full hookups and is walkable to the city as well as it’s right on Lake Superior. The sites aren’t great for privacy, but the convenience to town (great eating and shops) as well as the views of the lake are worth it.

Having spent a few days/nights in Itaska State Park as well, I must agree with you…that entire area deserves a couple of days, from Bemidji (home of Paul Bunyan and Babe) to the State Park and the Headwaters of the Mississippi. Hope your summer goes as planned.

Not exactly sure which highway you plan to travel on to go up into Canada, but as Canadians travelling south every winter we don’t like the I-5. We have friends in Bend, Or that we stop to visit with on our way home and we travel highway 97 North from Bend. It is a beautiful highway and you end up in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Staying on 97 all up the valley is also a rather laid back beautiful trip. I know that you guys are more into the beers but the whole valley is full of wineries that are a great day trip. When you hit the #1 (Trans-Canada highway) you could head back West to see Vancouver but as far as we are concerned it’s another big city. Heading East takes you right through the Rockies, can’t miss the spiral tunnels for the trains as you travel through. If you are lucky you will stop when a freight train is travelling through and see the head of the train at the top of the mountain and the tail at the bottom. If you are hoping to see the Calgary Stampede you might want to book tickets soon for the rodeo & chuckwagon races. As a Calgarian I hate to say it but there are not many good campgrounds around Calgary. There is a pretty one in Cochrane on the river Bow Rivers Edge which is nice, but pricey and pretty close together. Where I would recommend is a place called Carstairs, about 40 mins North of Calgary, has a small town owned campground with power and a dump station. It’s $27.00 a night. Although your dollar is looking really good right now be aware that there aren’t many free places to camp in Canada where the “beast” will fit. But do check out the Provincial Parks they are all quite nice. There is also several private parks in Banff which are really nice and you are right in the mountains there. Hope you have fun in Canada, too bad you are not going across Canada to the East Coast….

We’re planing on taking Hwy 101 most of the way north. It’s a drive we did many times (pre-RV), so we’re pretty familiar with it. We avoid I-5 as much as we can!

Cheers for the tips on Canada. Although Banff will probably be crazy busy in the summer, I know we need to go. I visited many years ago, but Paul has never seen it. Plus we can hike with doggie there (yeah!). I’ll check the dates on the Calgary stampede. I know it’s a big event up there, so I’ll see if it fits into our plans and book ahead if it does.

Although you “can” hike with doggie there, it *is* bear country. Some dogs provoke bears to go on the defensive. Talk to the local ranger staff and assess the risk realtime. Maybe it’s not so bad in the crowded summer, but there is the chance to encounter a bear any time in the backcountry. In the fall, when feeding gets more urgent, some Banff area trails are closed to hikers in groups smaller than 4 people. Use a leash and carry bear spray every time (all the rangers do). Only use the silly bells to accompany your trail singing – otherwise they are useless. You can cross the border with standard size (approx 300 ml) cans of bear spray labelled as such. Declare it when they ask during the crossing interview. Tomatoes, however, cannot be brought into the US…..

Also concur with traveling the western route of the Michigan Lower Peninsula. And when you get into the Southeast, the Corps of Engineers parks are an excellent choice when you want pavement and 50A power for a few days.

Definitely do Banff and you are likely to get a reservation with little notice till mid June. There is also a dry camp area in Banff with the Parks system that is used as overflow or just a cheaper area to park in. However you are likely to see more wildlife in Jasper.

Try to visit kelona/pentictan area, like flying into hawaii, white volcanic sand beaches and mild all yearlong, huge string of lakes with their own nessy. I have been following you three for a while planning my retirement on the road, you have been a great inspiration.

We live in Kelowna, some nice beaches and lots of lakes but Hawaii??? We live in an RV park in Kelowna and I can get you a discounted rate there is you chose to visit. We also have a large off leash dog park there and there is one or possibly two dog beaches in Kelowna. Email me for specific info, happy to answer questions about the area.

by all means go to Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan’s UP. My favorite, and the falls are not to be missed. You could go to Brimley State Park, close to Sault Ste. Marie, where you can watch big freighters go through the locks. Fayette State Park has a neat restored iron smelting town, and a beautiful little harbor. Our favorite in the lower peninsula is Wilderness State Park, with beaches and hiking trails. It isn’t far from Mackinaw City, where you can take a boat to Mackinac Island, a treasure. I think there’s a commercial rv park at Mill Creek, which has a shuttle to the boat docks, but we’ve never been there. Manistee and Ludington on the west side both have state parks next to the lake, near charming small towns. Both have lighthouses. And Sleeping Bear National Park! Look it up. Wonderful.

Michigan, my Michigan! It is a beautiful state, from Copper Harbour to Traverse City (check out the kayak brewery event), to Holland (see if it reminds you of home) to The Henry Ford – a must see for any Michigan visitor. Don’t forget Detroit, the comeback city. It’s the only city in the US that’s located north of Canada! Not to mention lovely Windsor, Ontario is located right across the river.

I could go on and on about the Great Lakes State. If you would like additional info, just let me know.

Another Minnesotan here. We have two popular summer vacation spots – the North Shore (of Lake Superior) as mentioned by Shelly, and the Brainerd Lakes area. I would skip the Brainerd Lakes area – very crowded and not nearly as scenic as the Shore. I have never camped with a big rig in MN, so I can’t help there, but every state park is dog friendly, as long as they are on a leash. I would also caution you about timing. As noted above, our parks are VERY crowded in the summer. Reservations open in March, I believe, and they book within a day or two for the prime summer months. And just as important, the bugs will be outrageous in July and August. That’s probably going to be the case for ND, WI and MI that time of year too, so just be prepared – tick collar for the dog for sure! So glad you are heading this way, people are always very surprised at how beautiful northern Minnesota and Wisconsin are. I think they expect ice and snow all year! Love your blog, wishing you safe travels in 2016.

We’ve been deep in planning too and the husband likes reservations. We’re going a little opposite of you, SoCal, Mexico, NM, CO, NE, IL, spending almost a month in UP (excited to revisit campgrounds I went to with my family as a child and as a girl scout), then into MN, ND and MT. Some interesting places I found in Montana include Makoshika State Park (drycamping), 7th Ranch RV Camp in Glendive, Sunrise Campground for our first time visit to Yellowstone, (July), then boondocking at the Missouri Headwaters State Park, 3 Forks, MT. We’ll be at Wenatchee River County Park and Birch Bay State Parks in WA. I would be interested in places you find in northern Washington. We’re hitting the road in 3 weeks! Enjoy!

We are now residing in British Columbia – originally born on the east coast – Quebec. We own a 36′ Winnebago

Alberta – In Alberta an interesting place to visit is Drumheller – if you guys like Dinosaur, this is the place to do some digging.

Oregon – When we go on the Oregon coast, we always stay at Sea Perch Resort near Yachat and stay on a waterfront site. Dog friendly – You are right on the beach and our 2 dogs can run freely on the beach anytime… there isn’t that many sites – so we always reserve before going.

Suggestion – just in case: Being “jello”, in case your plans are changing a little, you may want to consider the Old Quebec City ?!?
“Its picturesque Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a living museum of narrow cobblestone streets, 17th- and 18th-century houses and soaring church spires, with the splendid Château Frontenac towering above it all.” And although Quebec is a unilingual french speaking province, it is very easy to get around and get served in English. It’s Old Quebec city is a pure historical gem….
Every time we go back east, this place is a must for us. It feels like you are in Europe. And roaming the cobblestones streets with your dog is no problem – many terrace to eat out. Just a beautiful beautiful place.

GREAT STUFF! It sounds so exciting to be making such bold alternative moves! We’ll all be following your trips with great interest, especially regarding finding any boondocking opportunities.
Sadly we found no boondocking or free opportunities when we popped into Canada in 2013 just as you intend, but thanks to your blog hopefully you’ll get some tips from locals? The only tips we can offer are –
1) If you plan to cross the border at Osoyoos, maybe consider trying the smaller ‘Nighthawk’ crossing roughly 10miles further west. It might have limited operating hours, but I wish I’d taken the trouble to detour there because it looks a cute simple ‘backstreet’ crossing, maybe friendly, while Osoyoos was busier (even off season) and we had an awkward official who caused us delays.
2) If you visit Clearwater and Wells Grey Park in Canada, camp in the ‘first’ campground you find there (Pyramid?). We drove our 5th wheel to Clearwater Lake CG further north, but it wasn’t so worth it and a very rough road.
3) We loved and recommend Valemount Pines Golf Course & RV Park, BC (GPS 52.847435, -119.296208) (west of Jasper) if you pass there.
4) We enjoyed the (less busy) Juniper Campground at Theo Roosevelt National Park if you hit that part of North Dakota, though a lot of mozzies (in August).
Happy Travels!

Love that you are doing this and your route is almost opposite to ours this year. I do have a few recommendations-not all rustic and off the beaten path though because there are some very cool places along your route.

First take the time to visit the Twin Cities if you can. Minneapolis is a good example of what cities can do to create beauty where there was once industrial ugliness and blight. The area northward along the St Croix River is beautiful. We had friends to see and went there and stayed in a small CG/Mobile Home Park which was by no means luxurious or rustic but very convenient and great with dogs. And while I am on that-have you ever used dogfriendly.com? We have for a number of years since we took our dog with us on summer trips for years. It’s pretty good.
MI- as I told you we did love the state parks and as long as you are going to spend time there it’ll be worth that extra pass amount. We never encountered problems with the pets other than their not being allowed on most beaches and in buildings. If we left for a few hours we’d leave the tower fan on and vents open and never had a problem with heat. DogFreindly can help there though too.
Pictured Rocks, in Munising and which we had never heard of until virtually every other person we met in the Midwest told us about, is a must do. Yes, it’s a boat tour but phenomenal beauty and really the only way to see it. They have a kennel at the dock and all you have to do is bring a lock, (and I would suggest a blanket or pad.)
Van Riper SP outside Marquette is surrounded by many hiking trails though no lighthouses as it is inland on Lake Michigamee and lovely.
Also, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on Whitefish Point outside Paradise and near the Tahquamennon Falls State Park is also a very interesting place and where one of the lighthouses is. (You’ll go to Paradise but if you want to go to Hell you’ll have to go to Pinckney Recreation Area (Bruin Lake CG is nice) outside Ann Arbor. We stayed in the Rivermouth CG at Tahquamennon Falls because it was supposed to be quieter but in the fall I imagine the CG at the Upper Falls would be nice and it’s certainly closer to the Falls.
Brimley outside Sault Ste Marie where you can see the Soo Locks, was a lovely little CG right on the shore of Lake Superior and from which you can see 2 lighthouses, both of which you can visit.
Cheboygan SP (on the shores of Lake Huron is small, quiet and quite lovely) It’s across from Mackinac Island which you get to from Mackinaw City (both are pronounced mackinaw, BTW) and a glimpse into another time if you go. Dog friendly too. I think it was 3 or 4 lighthouses we could see from there-2 are on the way into Mackinac Island.
Interlochen SP was crowded and noisy and ran out of hot water in the showers by midday and we would not go back but it was near Traverse City and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore which IS worth a visit. There is a small beach south of there just outside Empire called Peterson Beach which allows dogs on the south side. The water was clear and warm and lovely (and for someone who grew up in the Caribbean to say that is something!) The drive down the road, which is unpaved, seems interminable but it actually only about 4 miles. As long as you are planning in advance and going in the fall you could probably get reservations at SBD.
Silver Lakes SP (Mears) is noisy because the ORV dunes are there but the dune buggy tour of the dunes, something we are not usually inclined to do, was actually great. You can hike the dunes too and I think with dogs. The only place they cannot go is the swim beaches . There are 3 sections to the park, Dune buggy, then no vehicles then ORV area. The Little Sable Lighthouse is there with a nice swim beach in front.
Bruin Lake was small, nice, small lake, near Hell but had no real trails. Just a nice stop.
The drive along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan is beautiful. Oh and stop at the welcome center when you enter MI and pick up their ingenious map that shows all roadwork on MI highways for that year. It saved us twice on routes the GPS did not know had construction.

WI-we only stayed at two state parks Lake Wissota-nice trails, lots of biking and kayaking on the lake and High Cliff in Sherwood which is on Lake Winnebago with some nice hiking trails. However, as I said, WI does not allow generators in SP. Not sure with traveling in the fall what kind of usage you’d find. If there are good colors they may fill up. Lake Wissota is the one with relatively few electric sites and the non-electric don’t get sun.

OH-we stayed at Maumee Bay on Lake Erie-OK and they have a lovely nature center and lots of biking trails even if Lake Erie is kinda skeevie, especially compared to Michigan, Superior and Huron. We also stayed at Van Buren which I would not recommend since, surrounded by agri-business fields of soy and corn and after plentiful spring rains it appears the fertilizers and pesticides leached into the water table and we had water that burned a hole through a neighbor’s aluminum pan and caused a yucky white build up in our kettle. And we triple filtered it.
We’ll be going through KY and TN in the spring and I’ll let you know anything special. We have been told by numerous travelers not to miss Cumberland Gap.

If you stop in GA, the Fort McAllister SP which is just south of Savannah (worth visiting if you haven’t) is nice. Out on a small island next to a Civil War fort it has some trails, and is a very different landscape from forests, deserts or beaches.

I will say that if your plans change and you head further west and hit the Gulf Coast, Davis Bayou in Ocean Springs MS is beautiful with all sorts of hiking and biking and kayaking.

As for FL-we are relatively “jello” in our planning as well but when it comes to FL, as I think you know, if you are planning stops on the way south you may want to consider reserving. I waited until August (we picked our son up at university mid-Dec and are staying through Feb) and we are jumping all over the state. Alexander Springs in Ocala National Forest though is nice, quiet, private and large sites with hiking and lovely kayaking. Federal site not state. The state parks vary GREATLY from county to county.

As for dry camping/boondocking, we have not found too much of it in the east/midwest. There are a number of municipalities that have even made it illegal at Walmarts etc and I suspect that is at the behest of private CGs which proliferate in many areas. Honestly though, while not the wide open, sparsely settled areas of the west there are many beautiful, green and nature filled areas on the route you plan in the state parks which run about $22 avg and have at least electricity. Most we stayed at had a dump station and water near the entrance and it was not a hassle at all since we’d fill going in and dump going out.

All fabulous tips, thanks!! And yes we’ll definitely be reserving ahead for FL. When we visited our 1st year we reserved almost 8 months ahead of time, and even that was a tad late! So, I’ll be planning that portion real soon.

Yes about FL SP…the popular ones can fill up for holiday weekends by the day they open for reservations 11 months ahead! But, I know several people with jello planning who check the reservation sites every day and manage to get in very late. At least there are plenty of them and if time is not a pressing factor you can also find nice town parks too.

I spent a couple of weeks in 2014 in FL and found boondocking a little difficult, so I checked out state parks and found great success! I was told they always keep a percentage of the sites off the reserved table for walk-ins. Highlands Hammock State Park (Hiway 27 near Sebring) was especially nice with an interesting guided tour where we saw hundreds of baby alligators. Altogether, I “walked-up” to 6 Florida State Parks that were “full” according to the reservation site, and was given a campsite with elec. At more than one park, the check-in desk seemed to delight in having a place for me.

Nina, don’t miss the West coast of FL once you get here. Much more laid back, less crowded, and less traffic than the East Coast; really all that is left of “Old Florida”. Even if you don’t stay here, take a few days and explore: Matlacha, Lovers Key, Koreshan State Historic Site, Sanibel Island & Lighthouse, Punta Gorda, Old Englewood, Venice, Lido Beach, Siesta Key, Amelia Island, Mote Marine Laboratory, Ringling Brothers Museum, Fort Desoto, Homosassa Springs, Crystal Springs, Marie Selby Gardens, Cedar Key, Inverness. I could go on and on. Google those and see what you think. Hope you have a great trip!

BTW: I think we were about a day behind you when you traveled through WY & SD last year. 🙂

Here are a few recommendations we have: the Canadian Okanogan area has developed excellent wineries – Sumac Ridge Estate Winery is a gorgeous place to visit, and the whole drive around Lake Okanogan is just beautiful.

Assume you are going to Banff / Lake Louise / Jasper. Probably the most spectacular place in North America, plus the Canadian national parks are more dog-friendly than ours. Will warn you that the area will be extremely crowded in summer. We went in September and it was still a little crowded for our taste. We didn’t go to Waterton, but I’m wondering if that would be less crowded – also supposed to be spectacular.

In Montana would recommend sticking to Hwy 2 across the state. Beaver Creek Park & Campground (a county park south of Havre in the Bear Paw Mountains) is a gorgeous surprise in the middle of the Montana plains. We saw many people boondocking along the river there (and there are more developed camps there too) and lots of dog-friendly hiking. Then further east stay at the COE park by Ft Peck (called Downstream Campground) – another gorgeous spot; has paved bike trails.

Looks like you are going to hit Theodore Roosevelt NP – south section? That’s what we did, but we got the impression from people who did both sections that there was actually more wildlife in the north, but probably unpredictable.

Don’t miss Duluth Minnesota – a very cool town – really enjoyed staying within walking distance of downtown at the Lakehead Boat Basin. Lots of hiking and biking opportunities there. As a Norwegian you will appreciate all the smoked fish available in the area – stop at one of the smokehouses. Plus the burgeoning craft brewery scene. And I’m guessing you would love Split Rock Lighthouse – an hour north of Duluth up the scenic shoreline drive. Also a lighthouse at Two Harbors, about halfway up to Split Rock. And the tour of the historic iron ore ship moored a couple blocks from the boat basin is surprisingly interesting.

Kentucky bourbon – we stayed at the Kentucky Horse Park, a beautiful facility (Olympic trials held here) with both hookup and dry sites, and is the terminus of the best maintained bike path we’ve ever seen – going through horse country into Lexington. The historic Buffalo Trace distillery is a must – take the tour there because you get lots of samples plus two dessert items, their version of Bailey’s Irish Cream plus bourbon balls!

One caution – after paying in advance for 3 nights in the Daniel Boone National Forest (Holly Bay campground) in southern Kentucky, we stayed only one night because of the profusion of ticks. They were dropping out of the trees on us when we sat outside that first evening! Such a shame as it is a beautiful forest with extensive waterways.

Sounds like an exciting new year for you – enjoy! And we will enjoy following along…

Outstanding recommendations! Many of those spots were already on our “list”, but it’s always great to get personal recommendations. You’ve given us several new ideas too (and one place to avoid…thanks sooooo much for the ticks info!).

Love your plans and really look forward to reading about your new areas of travel!! We have crossed paths in the northwest but have not met you. I just retired and my wife and I are finally going to be able to take trips longer than two weeks. We live in Vancouver, WA (where you usually stay in Portland is right across the river from us) and have explored everything west of the Rockys in those two week vacations. Now we are going to see the rest of the country! The motorhome is ready and we are heading off February 1! LOVE your campground guide you have created! See you out there somewhere!

We spent time in BC and Alberta in the summer of 2014 when gas was very expensive. But the scenery and the Canadians make it so worth it! Didn’t really boondock anywhere but enjoyed the campgrounds near Jasper and Lake Louise. Reservations are definitely necessary in Aug…..don’t know about June. Canadian national parks are more expensive than US parks.. You definitely save money by buying a pass. It is just perfectly gorgeous and we are tempted to go again with the strong dollar and cheaper gas. Happy 2016…..have a fab year!

I would recommend taking a stop in Waterton National Park. It’s the Canadian side of Glacier National Park and it’s absolutely gorgeous. There’s a lake nestled in the mountains, lots of trails and natural beauty. Looks like your plan is to go right by it. There’s a quant townsite in the middle of it with shops, ice cream, and an old antiquey style movie theater. It got grandfathered in when the area turned into a national park. You’d have to look into campsites and dog-friendly ness, we didn’t stay in an RV there and didn’t bring our dog.

We have been to Waterton NP twice, the second time staying in the NP campground in the centre of town and recommend it but you will need to book for the weekends if you want a FHU or W/E. They say it’s the wildflower capital of Canada and I think the festival is in early July. There are lots of hiking trails and I don’t think they have had a bear ‘incident’ yet. My husband even ran at a bear (yes what was he thinking) because the bear was going to tip his camera and tripod over and the bear ran away.

We just looked at Waterton campground (NP) this afternoon and it’s already fully booked (argh!). I think they opened up bookings this AM and by noon (which is when we looked) all sites were already gone. I guess we’ll just have to monitor for cancellations coz it looks like a place we would definitely enjoy.

My Daughter, husband and, by then their twins, live in Missoula, MT. He works for the Forest Service and might be of some help. There is a Bison range just north of Missoula and there are lots of camping facilities in the National Forest in that area. If you would like to contact him, let me know. I did the Bourbon trail last year. You have a treat in store. You might want to go east from KY to the east coast and down through the Outer Banks, Charleston, Savanna and south from there. Great lighthouses on the Outer Banks from Corolla Light to Hatteras Light.

In 2014 we took hwy 2 across the northern states and stopped at Ft. Peck where we stayed at a COE campground walking distance to the museum and a short drive to the town of Ft. Peck where we went to a play that was fantastic. Very impressed! Then the Natchez Trace Trail from TN to Mississippi is beautiful and has a couple of free NP campgrounds to stay at. We have a 40’er and had not trouble staying in the free campgrounds. Have a wonderful trip.

First a caution…if you cross from Canada back into the USA at the Carway border crossing (east of Glacier, leads to St. Mary’s) pay very close attention to the height of the roof over the border crossing lanes. It’s marked 13′ 1″ for the cars. We always go through customs with the cars in our motor home (we cross into and out of Canada all the time with no height issues). However, we are 13′ 4″. Apparently, we should have pulled over to the semi-truck lane, even though the gate was closed, someone would have opened it for us. We noticed the height sign just as we were about to pull under the roof. Oops! Let’s just say we caused quite a commotion as the border patrol had to shut our lane down, divert cars, open the semi truck lane, help up back up, etc etc etc. Live and learn.

As for Michigan, there is so much to do. I grew up there. I recommend the north shore of the UP. You can tour copper mines. If you like kayaking, doing so along Picture Rocks is a must. Visit the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Take a ride through the Soo Locks in Sault St. Marie. If you like to watch freighters, camp at the Aune-Osborn Campground in Sault St. Marie right on the river. Take time to visit Mackinac Island….stay on the St. Ignace side of the bridge, it’s less touristy. If you have bikes, ride the perimeter of the island.

Once you cross over the Mackinaw Bridge, there is lots to do. On the west shore, there is Sleeping Bear Dunes. On the east shore, Harrisville State Park is nice. If you have a taste for history, the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield village in Dearborn is fun.

I don’t know of any free camping, but I know the Wynns found some a few summers ago. And the Wynns and Technomadia did some serious casino camping in the UP. Have fun!

Hi Nina,
We live in the UP of Michigan and just got our first camper (16 ft) last year. The UP is an awesome camping area although some places are a little challenging for your size rig. We are in the Keweenaw and highly recommend Ft. Wilkins State Park in Copper Harbor. If you like history Calumet is an historic copper mining town and the home of the Keweenaw National Historical Park Headquarters. Be sure and visit their new museum there if you go, it explains this very unique area very well. McLain State Park in Hancock is right on Superior and is also nice. All dog friendly as long as leashed.
Don’t miss the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. We like the rustic campground (Presque Isle) near wonderful trails and the river which dumps into Superior there. 25 miles away is the busier facility-laden campground of Union Bay. Don’t miss the Porkies!
Also Bond Falls further east, is a a great little stop for close up and personal walks by the large falls (IMO worth more than Taquamenon which is a bit overrated.) They have a campground which we’ve not been to.
Also Pictured Rocks is a must see. We walked the 3 mile trail back to it which is wonderful – not sure if dogs allowed, but if so, go for it over the boat tour. Lots of hiking all along the north shore (NCT 43 miles long).
Ottawa National Forest and Sylvania Wilderness area within it are wonderful. Clark Lake campground is great esp. if you like canoeing on the mini Boundary Waters. Quiet, serene and the campground is never full because it’s not a busy family place. Mostly canoeists. Modern facilities and a great beach house and swimming area too. It’s a sleeper!
If you like wildlife, The Seney Wildlife Refuge is a great place to go on your way south to Lake Michigan. Lots of trails for biking within the refuge as well as canoe trip through it offered by local canoe/kayak rental if you don’t have your own. Rules apply.
Lots more to say, but …..
Anyway, have a great time. Write if you want more info.
P.S. Ditto on the comments on MN North Shore – wonderful as is Grand Marais (MN) AND, if you get to Grand Marais Michigan, do not miss the West Bay Diner – great couple owners and great food, great story. You may have to wait but it’s worth it. There’s a city park there too.
Regarding bugs in UP. May and June definitely but generally by at least mid-July you’ll be fine – esp. bug free in September – great color month to hit the Keweenaw where you have mountainous vistas.
BTW, best brewery in Houghton (Mighigan Tech Town) MI is KBC Brewery. Good coffee at Cyberia in Houghton, funkey place but good java. Buy the best coffee beans by local roaster in Calumet on 5th St., Keweenaw Coffeeworks.

Here’s a few that may have not been covered:
Near Portland go back on I-84 to US 97. That way if you haven’t, you can see that guys stonehenge thingy out by Maryhill. Also, continuing north on 97 you can stop very briefly and sample the Greek deserts at the Greek Orthodox convent.

Yakima river is winding but a pretty drive and a good avoidance of that nasty long grade outside of Yakima. When you hit I-90, cu north a bit to Cle Ellum and check out Mike’s Meats. Some freeking outstanding smoked pepperoni and sausages.

From there you can cut back and pick up 97 again to do Blewett pass over to near Leavenworth, WA which ahem, drops you into the wine valleys surrounding Wenatchee. Awesome tasting room and a couple of micro brews to check out.

Take 97 and cross near Osoyoos. You guessed it, puts you into the Penticton/Oliver wineries. Finstry CG makes for a nice stop and you’ll get to meet the Ravens (http://alifemadesimple.blogspot.com/).

Before dropping south to Glacier, please don’t miss the Canadian side of things at Waterton. Oh, and before hitting the east side of the park, sneek just a tad south to Polson to see the Miracle of America Museum (http://miracleofamericamuseum.org/) Agog is a good description.

Visiting Mackinac Island at the end of the tourist season is perfect timing. Be prepared for any kind of weather. Rent bikes with a kiddie trailer for Polly or just hike around the island for a step back in time. Watch out for trees in the state parks in MN, WI, and MI. To keep things Jello, stay at a casino for the Mackinac visit (see Pam and John’s blog for info).
And I agree with Judy, the west side of MI is beautiful as are the fall colors. Enjoy those Lighthouses!

Good tip. We may hit a few Casino’s along the way. Although it’s not our usual style of camping, it’ll help keep our camping costs in line as we splurge at State Parks across the country. I remember Pam’s post on this.

As a few mentioned before Take US 2, the high line, all the way across. Nice leisurely drive. We are in UP MI every fall and real nice color doesn’t start until end of Sept, first two weeks of Oct. You will have to share it with mosquitos in the woods though. Just ask Sherry at In the Direction about those little buggers.

I agree about Little Big Horn. We went because one of our travel companions insisted and were so glad we did! Fascinating! Great displays and interpretive talks. Walking around the battlefield is indeed unforgettable.

A suggestion for when you go to Michigan. Fall is absolutely the perfect time to go! It will be beautiful. I suggest you go along the West coast, along Lake Michigan. It is a beautiful area, with spectacular sunsets over the lake. There are numerous wineries with great wine and lots of lighthouses. Enjoy your new adventure!

Great plan! We have crossed east to west (and back) 14 times, at least, mostly in the south. Crossing into Canada be sure to have all papers in order before you get to the border, especially for pets. Same for back into the US. The Canadian dollar looks like such a bargain I may have to cross to the east north of the border this summer.

Boondocking in BC is generally a nono. In Alberta it may be better. Not great boon docking but Walmarts for overnight – also Canadian Tire were open to us. It will be high season and even campgrounds may be hard to get into. We dry camped in several large National and Provincial Parks as that was all that was left.

A neat side trip top McMinnville OR takes you to the Evergreen Air Museum, home of the Spruce Goose and the possibility of boondocking in their huge parking lot.

Just look at the amount of comments…..Ourselves were heading to AK. the first week in June. When you pass south thru Ohio another YouTube RVer (Willful Wanderer) has a great video on free camping in south-central Ohio. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q571I7aNtzQ
Ohio’s most popular state park is Mohican, known for kayak, and canoeing and Amish shopping #2 would be Hocking Hills, known for hiking.

Last year, I did a circle tour around Lake Michigan. If you are a Frank Lloyd Wright fan, you will not want to miss Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin. When I was there, I stayed at Avoca Lakeside City Campground (608-532-6188). It wasn’t busy at all, and it was reasonably priced. Victoria Riverside Park in Muscoda looked good, too,

I wanted to be the first to share with you about my home state Michigan. All the MI insights offered are of my preference too. Only insight I have to offer now is ‘Do Not Avoid Chicago’. We’ve lived on Lake Michigan (just down the lake from the UP… near Wrigley Field 25 years and I know the way in and out. We’ll keep in touch along the way.

Boondocking in the East is not that difficult – in 2014 I boondocked from Fort Lauderdale up thru the Smokies to New York, PA, MA, VT, NH, up to Canada (Quebec & Ontario) and then across the northern US back to my home in WA from where I had left 8 months before. Travelling the blue lines (rather than Interstates) lets you enjoy small towns, parks, museums, and kitchy sites as well as fantastically interesting people who tell you great stories and guide you to amazing places you can boondock. I was amazed at the number of vineyards in the eastern US – you won’t go thirsty!! Check out the Porcupine Wilderness Park on the UP Michigan (you’ll need your jello time here!) and the many segments of the Appalachian Trail you will be near and can hike (with the fur kids!). Luckily, my 20′ Rialta was able to drive the Going To The Sun Road in Glacier NP – an adventure not to be missed!! I can’t wait to spend more time east of the Missouri – it’s beautiful with lots of nature, rivers, lakes and state parks (which usually keep a couple of sites open for “walk-ins”).

I think “the beast” will find it a tad harder to snag free spots than your snazzy 20′ Rialta. Also if we manage to find spots I’m thinking they will be more overnight/dry-camping type of “freebies” rather than true boondocking (wilderness) spots. Still, we’ll definitely be keeping an open mind and we’ll try to do what we can to keep our campground fees down. It’s good to know you were able to find so many free spots out there.

Can’t wait to read as you go East! You’ve inspired so many stops for us on our travels. Too bad you don’t get to go as far North as Jasper and Banff. We visited Glacier last summer, but because of the summer heat and fires decided to revisit them as campers. It was a highlight of our 4.700 mile vacation.

Can’t wait to see where you visit as you get east of Glacier. I retire this June and will begin to plan a trip from the San Francisco Bay Area to the east coast in the near future.

Remember that the last total eclipse of the sun visible in the US for many years will be in August, 2017. I know that’s a long way out, but maybe focus the return in 2017 to be in just the right spot for that. Land Between the Lakes, Grand Island, NE, and Casper, WY are all on “the line”. We plan on going at least as far west as Grand Island, in hopes of dryer skies.

There are some great websites that will come up with a simple search that will tell you *all* about it, with maps.

Sounds like an exciting year. We certainly will keep your family in our thoughts, as you head to Florida. We do hope that you’ll keep us in mind for a mooch-docking spot in northeast Michigan. Pipa would love to show Polly around, and we’d love to share our town’s lighthouse with you. As always, be safe as you enjoy your new adventures.

Oh my, Nina! Our Michigan recommendations: We agree with the others about the Keweenaw and Leelanau peninsulas. We will actually be working on the Leelanau peninsula in the fall. There are tons of wineries there, and a number of breweries in Traverse City. If you stay at Tahquamanon, take the toad out to Crisp Point lighthouse…not so much for the cool lighthouse there, but the awesome secluded location where it resides. (The CRV can easily make the trip). And don’t forget Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City. Not sure if you remember or not, but my great grandfather was the general contractor on it in 1892. I was on the state committee to get it reopened in 2004. And directly across the street from it, be sure to visit the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association’ s office. They are a plethora of information on the region’s lighthouses. Have fun!

Hello Nina and Paul. We were so excited to hear about your adventures you are planning for the coming year. My husband and I live in Michigan and have been following your blog for the past few months. We are planning on going full time in the next year or two. When you come to Michigan, you said in the fall, you have to hit the “tunnel of trees” M-119 from Petosky/Harbor Springs to Cross Village. You would not however want to do this part of your trip in the RV due to the hair pin turns etc… but very much worth the 27.5 mile drive. The Traverse City State Park does take 40’ers and you can make reservations online up six months in advance. If you do the tunnel of trees (please google this) you must stop for a drink and a meal at the Legg’s in in Cross Village interesting and fun with great food and people. There are so many other great things to see and do in Michigan I can not begin to tell them all to you. Let me know if you would like any other suggestions for other parts of the state. One more thing if you can go to Mackinac Island. It is beautiful in the fall and a lot less touristy. Stay the night on the island if you can because then you get to see the “island life” after the tourist are gone. Rooms are much more reasonably priced at this time of year. No vehicles are allowed on the island but there will be plenty of parking for your rig at one of the ferry docks. Hope to hear more from you soon.

Spent 12 days doing the Bourbon trail this past November and had a blast. Each distillery is unique and the history is fascinating. And do also plan to take in a cooperage tour, the barrel making is best of all and the tour is free. We have a couple of lengthy posts about all that on our blog site, just search on Bourbon.

In central KY you would probably like Taylorsville Lake SP, very pleasant place, just a bit out of the way. Also KY horse park is decent enough and is interesting in its own right. Although during popular times I bet it can get a bit zooey in there.

While in the Lexington area be sure to take in the awesome and free Toyota plant tour.

Coastal Georgia’s Jekyll and St. Simons Islands are great stops. Ft. Frederica Nat’l Monument on St Simons is interesting and rich with history. Georgia Sea Turtle Center and biking around the mansions on Jeykl are a must. Blyth Regional County Campground in Brunswick is decent and close by.

On the FL east coast, nature oriented parks we like are Jonathan Dickinson SP near Jupiter and Savannas Recreation Area County Park near Ft. Pierce.

Hope to meet you some day. If you ever come thru RI in Summer or Fall, look is up, we know a few lighthouses 🙂

You could easily spend a month doing Southwest Ontario, the UP near Mackinac city, and Wisconsin. The area around the Dells is awesome. We’ve done all this starting in September on our way out West for the Winter.

Someone mentioned taking US12 from Lolo, MT to Lewiston, ID–avoid it like the plague! Narrow, winding road, lots and lots of bicyclists on a road with no shoulders, a nightmare, almost gave the cowboy a heart attack!!

Not sure what route you are taking through WA, but unless you are wanting to be in Seattle, if you are heading north in May or June you’re likely to find Eastern WA warmer and drier, especially in an El Nino year. There is a great COE campground, Hood Park, near Pasco WA. Lots of wineries, breweries, bike trails, etc, in the area. Not sure of the current rate structure, but park is big rig friendly and weekdays used to be half the price compared to weekend rates. Park is on a local reservoir so weekends can be busy but weekdays are very peaceful. Several wonderful local restaurants including the Atomic Ale pub☺

Gee, you certainly have plenty of ideas:) So I might as well add to it! We have been to all the states you are visiting, so please check out our blog.

We loved Alberta!! We stayed at both Jasper and Banff NP and stayed in their campgrounds. If you have to chose between the two, stay in Jasper. It is smaller and not touristy. The NP is wonderful with FHU’s. The sites are set in a pie shape with tons of room in the woods. Sooo nice. The hiking is outstanding. Banff is VERY crowded even off season and way too touristy. We didn’t care for the town. The NP campground is very large with FHU’s. The sites are all pull throughs along the road. Lots of space but no privacy like Jasper. Both Calgary and Edmonton were nice cities but RV Parks were tough. Not many. Don’t miss the Icefields Parkway!!!

We really enjoyed North Dakota. We traveled the lower part on 94 our first year and then Route 2 the second time. Both are very different and we enjoyed each one.

We stayed at several casinos as we moved east. Technomads stayed at many of the same ones. Do plan to stay near Lake Superior as you come across, you won’t be sorry! So much beauty to see:)

When you get to southern Georgia you MUST stop in Ashburn. There is nothing there but a very little town, BUT they have an RV Park/Golf course that we found and love. It is called Wanee Lakes Golf and RV Resort. A young couple bought a few years ago and they have worked so hard to get the course in shape again. It is a very challenging nine holes with two tough water holes. If you stay in the RV Park (grass pull through sites with FHU’s), you can golf for free if you walk. We usually try to get the site right on the first tee. They have a nice little club house with a bar, pool tables, card tables, and flat screen TVs. They are also Passport America so the last time we stayed for $15 a night and free golf. Doesn’t get any better:)

Please use our blog to help with some of your plans:) Let us know if we can help any other way. Sound like a great plan. We will be east in the fall and then at least northern FL to have all our windows redone because they are fogging. We will probably be in Ashburn to play golf in the late fall. Dave and Sue may be with us if we can get a reservations in FL for the winter.

Fabulous tip on the Jasper location! That sounds perfect for us and is exactly what we’re looking for in that area. Plus that Golf place you mentioned is most definitely on our list (Paul wrote it down and saved it when you mentioned it last time we saw you…he is beyond excited!). I’ll definitely check your blog too. All great tips, thanks!

Hi Nina,
I agree about Jasper having a great camping, just be sure to reserve a site. Also, you can overnight at the Ice Fields Parkway center, just a huge parking lot, but you wake up next to a glacier and it is half way between jasper and Banff. Really a great drive.

Also if you stop in at Glacier NP, the Apgar campground on the west side has sites that are not reserve-able so if you show up on a Monday morning you stand a good chance of finding one without a reservation.

If you decide to go further East in the fall, it is really worth it to go through Vermont for the fall colors, and even Maine to see Arcadia NP. Out of your way probably and you would want to go back west to avoid 95.

Indeed a bold route and the beast will have some great time. Im excited for you and your suggestion box is brimming with great stuff! Instead of listing here I would invite you to check our site for Steve’s campground reviews. But here are some highlights to mention:
1. ND – Theodore Roosevelt NP
2. MN- Itasca State Park
3. MI- visit the UP for sure and yes there are so many lighthouses out there; The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, McKinac Island and Mackinaw City (lighthouses), the Great Lakes area
4. KY- Bourbon Trail ; if car plant tour interest you, the Corvette Plant is fascinating
5. TN – Nashville
6.Steve and John raves about the Freightliner Service Center at Gaffney, SC and the class he attended (not sure if you have a Freightliner Chassis) ; BMW car plant tour in Spartanburg is worthwhile as well
And the weather, keep your eye in the sky, its unpredictable out there. And of course let us know if you have any particular questions in certain states.
Cheers to your 2016 route and who knows our path might cross as we head up to Canada and you are on your way back to USA.

We traveled from Michigan’s UP to Florida last fall and have similar camping preferences as you guys. We did find some nice dry camping spots, but almost all were tight with our 32′ class A and we are not averse to the sound of branches brushing our rig. ( I had to replace a TV antenna cable caught by an overhead branch.) Often we were the only motorhome at those campgrounds. Of course those ended up being the better stops on our trip.

We mostly avoided interstates and largely stayed on Hwy 441 from Tennessee to Florida. The road was in great shape, catches some great state parks, and offers diverse terrain as the Smokey Mtns, (dry camped in the Nat’l Park next to a beautiful creek at Smokemount) to Georgia’s Okefenokee (camping at Stephen C Foster State Park is the polar opposite of the desert SW, but an adventure, Think middle of a great swamp, grass sites with cable tv and a laundry.)

We stayed at Stephen Foster SP in FL in 2011, mostly by accident (we had an alternator problem and the park was the closest thing at the time). Totally agree it’s an awesome State Park. We ended up loving it!

If you decide to go a little bit further east into Maryland we are about 25 miles east of Interstate 81. You can certainly park your RV in our driveway and stay in our home. We have lots of room. We know DC very well (about 1 hour south of us) and would love to take you on a road trip to see the sites. I used to work in DC.
We can also walk to the Appalachian Trail from our house.

It’s been several years since we’ve been there but the city park in Ray, ND, on US Hwy 2 had free electric sites among trees. A rodeo was just ending last time we pulled in on a Sunday night. Too bad we didn’t get there in time to enjoy that. You do have to listen to trains, though, as a BNSF mainline runs not far behind the park.

I live in Florida now, but I grew up in Michigan. The Great Lakes are something to behold. When I was 17, a buddy and I threw a crappy canvas tent into the trunk of my beat-up Ford convertible, and headed north out of Kalamazoo, looking for terra incognita. We ended up doing the entire circle route around Lake Superior, and we were mighty impressed with the north shore. If your time allows, it’s a very scenic way to go.

Check out the DNR website for Michigan state forest campgrounds, maybe a less- expensive alternative to the state parks. There’s a couple along the Lake Huron shore that might work out for you.

It sounds like a great year in the making. We were just in Florida using I-75 through Atlanta to the Clearwater Beach area. There is a lot of construction on all interstates around Atlanta. I-75 north and south of Atlanta are a bear to get through. South being the worst. Traffic is either slow going (like creeping) or stopped. We live north and west of Atlanta and it takes us about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to just get through on a good day. Florida I-75 is also a work in progress. Still. Since you plan on going to the Miami area it is a good idea to look at getting a Sun Pass for the toll roads. The majority of the toll roads use those and license plate photos instead of tollbooths. The rates are different for each. You can get a portable one that you can move between the RV and the tow car.

We are headed to Michigan to walk the Mackinac Bridge walk on Labor Day. We walked it a couple years ago and it was quite the experience. I said once was enough and now I plan to do it again. We enjoyed the sights of the UP and the west side of Michigan. Sleeping Bear is really beautiful. Traverse City is a great food city. I’m not a big beer drinker, but the Midwest I think must be the beer capital of the US. If you are lucky the leaves will have changed and it will be spectacular in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

We recently stayed at Skidaway SP near Savannah, GA. We plan to visit there again. I’m not a big fan of GA state parks, but that one is perfect for it’s closeness to Savannah, yet feel like you not close to anything. The majority of sites have a lot of space around them.

Good morning … We are full-timers. Our home base is Grand Rapids, Michigan … in the west part of the state. Recommend that you travel down Michigan’s west coast … not the east. Sleeping Bear Dunes has been touted as one of the “must see” areas in the US. Plus the lighthouses are situated for sunset photos instead of sunup. Personally, I prefer staying up a little later at night rather than getting up before dawn. Check out my photos of West Michigan lighthouses at http://www.ScriptureExpressions.com … Lighthouses gallery.

We would also recommend taking Highway 97 and crossing into British Columbia at Osoyoos, and on your way through Bend, Oregon you can check out some, or all, of the great craft breweries, google the Bend Ale Trail.

The Okanagan Valley of BC is beautiful and definitely worth a visit. BC Provincial Parks are very nice but they book up early so it is best to make reservations. Reservations can be made three months in advance at https://secure.camis.com/DiscoverCamping/.

We are looking forward to following your blog during your travels as we are leaving mid July to head across Canada and down the east coast of the US with the intent of spending Christmas in the Florida Keys.

Having looked at this some more today, I think we definitely want to hit the Okanagan Valley on the way up to Jasper. Can’t resist a good wine region! We’re going to have to set our alarms for when the reservation system opens up.

Since you are going up 101 and we came down that way last fall I have a couple of recommendations. The Frances Coppola winery has a dinner on Tuesday that is an event that is soooo much fun and delicious for only $42 plus wine https://www.francisfordcoppolawinery.com/visit/dine/rustic/a-tavola . We stopped counting at the 10th course. Have you seen the Italian castle in Calistoga? It is amazing and I recommend the our if you visit so you get to see the lower levels where the barrels and bottles are aged. The tour includes wine sampling http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/.

Fantastic itinerary! We are looking at doing a similar mix of places this year, but including Alaska in our summer travels. Michigan in the fall is stunning and has some of the best craft beer around, so we’ll be spending some time there as well. Happy travels!

Just ignore that Tuscany that “seems” to be following you around all summer……. We’re hoping to spend this summer in CO/MT/WY 🙂 You are very dog-savy, and I didn’t read every comment so it may have been mentioned, still one of the best things our vet gave us was a heart-worm map and the recommendation to check for updates. Our two fav places along the CA coast were the beaches at Cayucos and Trinidad – Tessa especially loved running around the big rocks in Trinidad. I’m excited about seeing and reading your travels in some great new areas!!

We have Polly on heartworm meds year-round (one of the very few meds we consistently give her). I volunteered at dog rescues for many years and I’ve just seen way too many heartworm issues over the years. It’s a risk we don’t take.

Good gravy—a new year and fantastic plans…feel like I just took the trip skimming thru the tons of comments! Could it be possible you’re on I-5 for a short bit, through Mt. Shasta?? Would be delighted to fit you in the visitors’ slot near our creek in the woods if we’re here!! I petsit and housesit in Portland a lot (chunk of March, April/May), so it would be fun to party there with you, too. Near Mt. Shasta, there’s a great funky mineral springs with old-fashioned tubs, a dark hot fire-heated sauna room, and an icy creek to jump start of a morning! Keep on truckin’ you amazing folks you…and your pets!!

We’ll probably be following the coastal route (101) from northern CA thro’ all of southern Oregon (just can’t resist) so we won’t be heading thro’ that part of I-5 this time around. Cheers very much for the offer tho’ 🙂

Hope you saved some money for this big trip. I think you’ll be using more RV parks rather than your big boondocking spaces in the West!

You’ve gotten many good tips so far, especially on Michigan. I, too, would concentrate on the western lower peninsula rather than the eastern. We were able to use many forest campgrounds when we had a 33′ 5th wheel but not when we had our 40′ MH. Also keep in mind that both the state parks and state forests require an entry fee and an additional cost for your car. If you plan to use them a lot, get the annual. The Leelanau Peninsula is awesome with many small, quaint towns to explore…and of course, Sleeping Bear Dunes. Be prepared from many tourists in Michigan.

Hwy 2 across the states is a very pleasant drive. Definitely plan for a stop at Fort Peck, Montana. The campground has huge grassy sites and makes for a nice relaxation stay.

You also seem to easily create a good time for yourselves but the population difference in the east is going to be a challenge for you, for sure. 🙂

Yeah we’re fully prepared to spend more money on campground fees this year. No real way around it once we go East, especially being the beastly size we are (we can’t exactly stealth camp on the street LOL). It’s definitely going to be different, but hopefully we’ll see and experience lots of new stuff. I’m sure that once this year is done I’ll be ready to go West again.

I live in Canada and spent most of my adult years in Calgary. The Canadian Rockies are spectacular. I noticed you are skipping through on the south side of the TransCanada. Kananaskis Country is unspoiled and lest touristy than Banff and Lake Louise. The government just announced that the National parks will no longer be charging an entry fee this year. Camping in the Canadian Rockies can be expensive, I am told. I had never heard of boondocking until my snowbird friends in Arizona filled me in! I checked out this site and none of the boondocking sites are where you are planning on travelling. https://www.boondockerswelcome.com/SearchByState/CA/BC

Best of luck with your travels! Enjoy the extra boost with our low Canadian $$$ – we are missing the near par one! We live on the border between Washington State and BC (Oroville, WA and Osoyoos, BC) Beautiful country also!

I believe the Canadian NP entry park fee is being waived for next year (2017) not this year (2016), so sadly it won’t apply to us. I did also notice camping prices are quite a bit higher than down south, even if you choose to camp without hookups. Plus I’ve not been able to find any real boondocking. Still, the low $$ should help us.

It is a small world for sure, Nina! We met you during the summer of 2014 along the Olympic Peninsula coastline at Kalaloch Cpgrd I believe. Now you’ll be following part of our last summer’s itinerary into the Canadian Rockies, as well as Glacier NP and perhaps our route through MT over to ND. Check out our blog of those travels and see what piques your interest. It was an incredible trip and the Canadian $ helped to make it even better. Yes, fall is fabulous in Michigan–whether the UP or the lower. The western coastline has plenty of quaint towns and lighthouses–don’t miss Sleeping Bear Dunes–but the UP is wild and dramatic! Fall color begins in Sept. and can be magnificent! Equally magnificent for fall is MN’s North Shore–Lake Superior on one side and a rugged inland hardwood forest on the other. It’ll be a difficult choice for sure.
We’ll look forward to seeing how your trip pans out through your blogs. It might not be the western landscape you love, but you’re in for some incredible scenery–and your photos will illustrate it!https://airstreamtravelers.wordpress.com/

Suggestion for Grand Rapid, MI…ArtPrize is a radically open international art competition decided by public vote and expert jury that takes place each fall in Grand Rapids September 23 to October 11, 2016. I recommend you visit their web site http://www.artprize.org to learn more. Let me just say that there are over 1500 pieces presented in many different mediums. By the time you have spent a few days exporting all the exhibits on display throughout the beautiful city you will see art in everything you see…. we were admiring man hole covers and appreciating the fine detail, LOL.

I agree with staying on the west side of Lower Michigan. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a must see…voted number 1 most beautiful place in America in 2011 by ABC’s Good Moring America (I know, I know you are saying Michigan, no way, but we have traveled the western states and I must say this was well deserved). The campground to stay at is NPS Plate River Campground. Nice large sites with space between them. You can walk to Lake Michigan and find deserted beaches for pouch to run off leash (your not supposed to but with no with no one around who cares) Lots of winery’s in the area…best known for white wines. Enjoy.
-Carl

PS: I would like to thank you for your web site. My wife and I have gotten tons helpful information from it and have now been full time RVing for the past 4 months…LOVING IT. Thanks Again.

You will LOVE Canada and wonder why you haven’t gone there earlier. It’s beautiful and the people very friendly. We RVed there 3 times so far in the months of June and July. In the summer of 2017 we hope to spend time exploring the eastern lower half of Canada after traveling up our east coast.
Love your travel blog. We have been living vicariously through your posts. We plan to put our house on the market in Spring. Our full time RVing experience starts in October.

As a native Ohioan and now a full-time RV’er, when you travel through Ohio you really, really need to stop at Hocking Hills, just south of Columbus. There are hikes through some of the most beautiful forests, rock formations, caves, and waterfalls in the Buckeye State. If you can’t go that far east (looks like your plans have you on I-75) another great stop is Hueston Woods SP. It has the last remaining stand of old growth forest in the state, the rest having been cleared by early settlers. Besides good hiking, Hueston Woods is also home to buzzards. They stand on the ridgeline of the lodge roof warming their wings in the mornings. What a sight to see! Kind of creepy, since they spread their wings and just freeze in position until they are ready to fly.
In reference to the above comment about visiting Amish country, yes, it’s great to do, but most everything is closed on Sundays.
Looks like you have a great year planned!

It appears you are going to bypass one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Vancouver, British Columbia. I would suggest you reconsider and think of about a week visiting the area. Points of interest, Granville Island Market and Granville Island brewery, one of the first micro brews in B.C. ; Sea to Sky highway which would take you to Whistler Mountain for a day hike (approx. 1 1/2 hour drive from Vancouver or stop in at squamish to hike the back side of Big chief mountain, its a real bun burner but at the top you can see the entire vallley, a trip to White Rock for the best fish and chips, a walk down Robson Street for a taste of fashion, and a visit to the Vancouver convention area. Take the gondola up grouse mountain and hike around an return at nite, youll see the entire city lite up. I know some of this would be off limits for Polly but just a few suggestions. When heading east to calgary follow highway 1. You will take the coquahalla highway which is steady climbing and heads you into kamlooops and through the Shushwap lake country into Revelstoke, and excellant alpine town. Rogers pass is beautiful but it really gets good when you leave Golden and enter the rockies. Lake Louise is a must stop over, if only to see the hotel and lake. Banff is a tourist trap but a must stop also and very beautiful. If you want to see some wild life, just drop down to the golf course and see the elk lazing around. Be sure to stop into the hotel. They have hot springs in banff but in the summer it can be a bit crowded. Canmore is beautiful and lots of hiking available, as is there heading a bit further east just before calgary at kananaska park. There is a casino just a little east of canmore and you can overnite there for free. Calgary Stampede is interesting if your into cowboys and bull riding but if you stop into calgary, try to be there a day before opening and go to the parade which is on the friday, there you will get a taste of real western hospitality. When leaving Calgary you will head south and cross into montana. Before you do that, make a quick turn into waterton lakes, you wont be disappointed. If you do decide to visit in vancouver i would recommend the r.v. park – Fort Camping – on Brae Island – just across from historic fort langley. They have a web site and its outside vancouver but only a half hour in. Good park, well maintained and clean.
Enjoy your visit to British Columbia and Alberta!!! Should you want more info you can always email me. BTW, Ive resided in Vancouver for almost forever and currently live in calgary. We were on the road for a year and a half in our motorhome.

We’re still thinking about Vancouver. Depending on the timing and how far we’ve gotten by ~June we may decide to drive out there and spend a week. I definitely want to see the city, but it just depends on timing. Cheers for the tips on a campground there!

I know how you and Paul like your beer, me too! But have you tried hard cider? When you’re on the Leelanau Peninsula in MI check this place out — Tandem Cidars (http://tandemciders.com/welcome-to-tandem-ciders.html)
Further south along Lake MI I recommend the area from Grand Haven to Holland to Saugatuck. All three have nice downtown river/lake fronts with great shops and restaurants. There are also many small city/county/state parks with access to the lake with hiking trails.
BTW, thank you for all your exceptional posts and photographs!!!

Another recommendation for Hwy 2. There is a city campground in Stanley ND, is a pretty nice place to stay. A little slopey front to back but quiet and a reasonable price. The campground in East Grand Forks in Minnesota is on the Red River, many miles of hiking trails, sites with pretty good separation.
In WA, suggest Hwy 12 to Yakima coming from the west. From here go south to the Tri-cities area and Walla Walla for great wines or north up to the Ellensburg area to pick up 97. Great wines in the lake Chelan area as well.
As your plans gel a bit the suggestions will get more detailed, bet on it!!
BTW we are currently in North Palm Springs, about 1 mile north of Dillon Rd. Found a GREAT BBQ place here, fairly new. The brisket may be better than that we had at Cooper’s in Llano Texas.
Take Care

While it may be a little off your route consider some time on Vancouver Island. Victoria is a very pretty city and the west coast of the island (Tofino, Long beach) is spectacular (and it has some lighthouses!). If you do head there keep in mind that the Anacortes ferry is much cheaper than BC Ferries. It lands you right in beautiful Sidney near Victoria.

Oh I’d love to do Vancouver Island, but I don’t think we have the time this trip. It really deserves a month just for itself, and with the miles we’ve planned this year it simply won’t fit in. It is most definitely on “the list” for the future though. One day we’ll get there!

You will love Banff Natl Park and Jasper Natl Park in Canada (if you get up that far). The Bow River is gorgeous. There are tons of wildlife photography opportunities (esp. in Jasper, in my experience). There are some hot springs up there, too. Glacier is great also, though I consider it better for scenery than wildlife (as opposed to Yellowstone) but that is just my personal experience. The Highway to the Sun Road is beautiful in the summer (definitely NOT for the Beast, though). Unfortunately, you’ll be missing some of the prettiest parts of Montana, as the western part is quite lovely. Hopefully you won’t judge the state based on anything east of the mountains. 🙂 As for Washington, if you go up I-5 it is actually quite pretty but Seattle is going to be horrible because of traffic. The North Cascades are beautiful, though I don’t know how many of the roads are Beast-ready. If you go up I-97, the trip has the potential to be a lot more dry and hot.
I look forward to your pictures on the East Coast. We haven’t visited a lot of those states yet and it will be fun to see what we’re missing.

We’ve woven Jasper into our route, so we’ll definitely see it. Excited for the Canada part of our travels! As for Seattle we’re prob going to avoid it either by using the ferry system (on the west side, like we did in 2014) or detouring around the east. We’ll see….

I think you will love Jasper. Smart idea on avoiding Seattle traffic. Don’t get me wrong, it is a lovely city and we go there all the time. It is stressful in a car though, and driving it in an RV would be worse. I suppose if you had to drive through it you could just avoid going through anywhere close to rush hour.

Great plans and I would concur with others on here that coming down the west side of MI will be a much more scenic experience. As for your craft brewery cravings…both MN and WI have quite an abundance to choose from, including the actual breweries to tour. I t looks like you will be coming across northern, which will be beautiful in fall. For boondocking opportunities you will having anything from several casinos to some pretty neat county parks to the Nicolet Ntl Forest. Enjoy your travels and I look forward to reading all about your east of the Mississippi travels!

Hmmmm yes. I know football games are huge out east, and it would probably be fun but I admit I’m not much of a football gal. We’ll have to see if Paul manages to drag me to a game (he’s a big Gator fan, so maybe in FL?)

Wow, what an impressive list of great suggestions! I’m going to make note of them for our travels. 🙂 I’m a bit late to this party (been busy with my folks in Florida) but just wanted to say that were it not for our family in Florida, we probably wouldn’t be motivated to head here almost every winter. BUT I’m really happy that we do, not only to spend time with my 85-year old mom and 87-year old dad, but because Florida (the REAL Florida) is truly beautiful and unique. Have fun planning! Looking forward to the tales of your journeys.

Your plans look absolutely marvelous! You’ll love those areas of Canada you are looking to visit!! Make sure to detour to the Lake Louise and Banff areas. You will find East Glacier an area that isn’t quite as busy as the west side – Look into the Two Medicine campground (now reservable) if you need a place to stay there and Highway 89 down the rocky mountain front is gorgeous as well. If you come through Helena – definitely check out Lewis and Clark Brewery or the Brewhouse or Blackfoot Brewery! Definitely give me a ping if you are in the area – would love to meet you!

Thanks! We’ve spent all morning looking at Lake Louise/Banff area and I think we have most of our sites booked. So, I’m excited! I’ll check out the campground you mentioned for East Glacier. That’s next on our list to book.

If you’re as far south as Miami, definitely consider going to the Everglades National Park. My husband and I spent two weeks in Flamingo Campground in February and loved it so much we went back for another two weeks in March! The big RV campground has both electric sites and dry camping. In Feb., we dry camped. In March we did a week of each; the second week we were there we were glad to have AC. Definitely stay in Flamingo; you’re on Florida Bay with delicious tropical breezes and a lovely 1 mile bicycle ride to the Visitor Center and boat basin. We had kayaks and bicycles with us, which enabled us to REALLY see what the Everglades are all about. We didn’t have reservations either week (altho in March, we got “on the list” for an electric site when one became available). In north Florida, there’s some nice boondocking west of JAX off of I-10 in Osceola National Forest.

Your posting is very timely for my wife and I as we plan our 2016 travels. We are also looking at Canada for this year’s destination. We have just begun mapping our path starting from Casa Grande, AZ with thoughts of traveling up the western coast os the US to Canada. We do not have a need, nor desire, to go back east at this point so will probably return via Idaho or Montana come fall. I am interested in the path you are mapping out as well as the resources that you are using to research and plan your travels. We always enjoy your blog and look forward to the updates. Much Aloha Patrick

For Canada we’re planning to spend a significant amount of time around the Canadian Rockies and the Icefields Parkway. We have buddies who have been (IslandGirlWalkabout), so we’ve spoken to them and are also checking friends blogs and others who know the area. Lastly I’m using many of the same resources I usually do (see the link to my 3 “planning” posts listed at the bottom of the post).

As an aside, I’ve already realized we need to book Canada NOW! Many of the popular parks are already booked out for summer and there are only a handful of places “the beast” can fit (ugh!). So, we’re working on that now and hope to have most of June/July/Aug booked by next week .

We’re finding that sites are booked as well. Our schedule is very flexible which helps but obviously those in the know started booking as soon at the sites allowed. I am thinking we will spend a month on Vancouver island if we can find a good campground. I’ve looked at your planning posts in the past but was wondering if you found something specific for Canada. We are currently at Palm Creek and are surrounded by “Canadian Birds” and have reached out for suggestions as well.

I’ve not really found anything specific, unfortunately. In fact internet info on RVing in Canada (in general) is pretty weak. As an example, I spent most of this morning trying to figure out WHERE we could fit “the beast” along the Icefields Parkway. It wasn’t easy! Mostly I’m relying on friends and blogs. Good luck w/ your travel plans!

Nina, don’t know how you keep up with all the comments and suggestions. I definitely agree that the west side of Mi. is the best side. We full-timed for 6 years all across the U.S. Last year we decided to call it quits and ended up in the town of Boyne City Mi. We love the UP and northern MI. If you go through the town of Petoskey, stay at the Magnus Campground, right on the water, best sunsets around. Have Fun.

Well, Wheeling it, this sounds great and exciting and we wish you fun and safe travels! However, when I saw your phrase, “traveling East” and then saw your itinerary, I was floored. You are missing the best part and most of “The East”. We are from south o Boston and East to us is the Northeast. Vermont, Maine, N.H., Mass., R.I., and the Canadian Maritime Provinces, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. etc.. We could give you some fantastic destinations. As far as boondocking goes, you look for other R.V. bloggers who live in New England and see if you can park in their yard. In any event, if you can’t swing any if that, let us know when you can. We have been on the road full time for 6 years and go out west every year. Then we spend the summer in New England. We can give you tons of tips.

harkeyhawk43,WordPress.com

Also, see our book, Hawk and Red Fox-Modern Day Gypsies about our first year. Available on Amazon or on Facebook at “Hawk’s Books”.

I would be interested in the campgrounds you pick on the 101. We have our regulars, but are always interested in something new. We live in San Diego. So, we go from here to Lake Cachuma CP, near Santa Barbara; then to King City CP (I LOVE this campground-it has museums), then The Trade Winds RV Park in Vallejo (simply because of location as the park is tiny); KOA in Willits (the Skunk train car has a stop at the park) Giant Redwoods RV park in Myers Flat; Eureka KOA and Klamath River RV park in Klamath. We don’t boondock and the state parks are typically very crowded. We find county parks if we can.

We also love looking for the John Cerney cut outs on the 101 which start just before King City. The Old Woman on the Hill is fabulous. If we go to Monterey, we go to Laguna Seca CP, but you gotta love the sounds of race cars and gunfire (race track and police firing range nearby).

We utilize the Elks Lodges when it makes sense then city/county parks and commercial parks last. The only time we will choose a commercial park is if we are spending a month or more and want to utilize facilities. However we find Elks to be excellent along 101 for location, facilities and price.

There aren’t a lot of places to boondock in the southern part of Canada, but there are some fairly inexpensive forestry and provincial campgrounds, some suited to big RVs, others not. Not sure how far into Canada you are planning to travel but we live on 20 acres about 30 minutes east of Calgary and we can offer you a parking spot. The Alberta Badlands are about an hour northeast of us, the Rocky Mountain Parks an hour and half west and we’re three hours north of the Montana border. Our place is very dog-friendly (just ask our dogs) and we’re 5 miles from the nearest busy highway so it’s a bit like being out in the desert.

I saw your posts about booking spots along the Icefields Parkway. The mountain parks are tremendously busy during the summer so I’m not surprised. We haven’t travelled that way with our rig, only by car so I’m afraid I can’t offer much there. If you tell me where else you’re planning to travel in Canada, I’ll see what I can come up with.

In Georgia, I highly recommend Skidaway State Park if visiting Savannah (and who wouldn’t want to visit Savannah). Not far south is Crooked River State Park in St. Marys – another lovely Georgia park. This is also a good stop to visit Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Note: When in Jasper, a great place for an excellent latte is the laundromat downtown on Patricia St. I believe.

Wow, Nina, such a bunch of comments to read through, but no one mentioned a secret treasure in the part of Canada you will be crossing. Don’t miss Kootenay Lake and the surrounding area. Nelson is a town made for you, and it is off the beaten track for sure. Not expensive to camp but also a bit harder to find places for the beast. We decided that the areas around Kootenay Lake were so much better than Banff because of the laid back area, the fewer people, so many reasons. Our trip there is in our blog is you search Kaslo you will find it. Such a fun time you will be having! And Northern Florida is the true treasure, with hidden gems of magic that you already know about I think.

As I headed east from New England toward the west coast I did a little research on boondocking in northern MN and WI. Check with the Forest Service about the Hiawatha and Ottawa. Of course, ForestCamping.com can be a good resource too but they omit some campgrounds that don’t meet their own specific criteria.

In Ohio I stayed at Harrison Lake Park. I didn’t review this campground on my blog but I did shoot some photos there. I think they can accommodate a rig your size and it’s a pretty nice place as I recall. Rattle my cage if you like before you pass through the San Francisco area where I’m located (Berkeley) and I can show you and Paul some pics over beers 🙂

Somewhere not too awful far outside of Nashville I stayed at 7 Points Campground which is a nice COE spot as I recall. I didn’t review this one either, but I’ve got some photos.

It looks like you’ll be passing very near to the Okefenokee swamp in GA. How could anyone not visit a place called Okefenokee? It’s just so much fun to say! I stayed at the Stephen C. Foster State Park in the swamp. Another campground I didn’t blog about but I included some information about the swamp in this Travel Report:https://russontheroad.wordpress.com/2015/04/30/the-okefenokee-swamp/
This campground may be a bit tight for your rig, at least parts of it, so check that out if you’re interested in close encounters of the alligator kind 🙂

Listen… I have travelled on many, many roads of this great, great continent and one of the most spectacular drives, BAR NONE, that I have ever had the pleasure of motoring on, begins in Duluth, Minnesota (GO VIKINGS!!!) on route 61 and continues north into Canada. Route 61 eventually continues north and eventually becomes route 17, and this is where the jaw-dropping journey really kicks off.

From Thunder Bay you travel on 17 as you follow the northern coastline of Lake Superior… the scenery is spectacularly, awe-inspiring and something not to miss. We followed the route all the way to Toronto, and then on to Niagara Falls (which is a sight to behold all on its own), but you can cross back into the USA to Michigan thru Sault Ste. Marie. The canal locks there are also truly a sight to see… and a totally awesome experience to watch the locks operate.

Of course, I see by your travel plans that you will not be going into Canada at that part of the country but if you ever get back around those neck of the woods, please do yourself a favor and travel that route. You will be blown away. One of the BEST!!! And you will never regret your decision…

Holy Cow, it would take all day just to read the comments here so I skipped over them. We live in Wisconsin and plan to head up through Michigan and through Sault Ste Marie to loop up and over Lake Superior the last week of August and in to September. I’ll keep an eye out for your location as fall nears, maybe our paths will meet somewhere now that you’re venturing out of the West!

My comment is I feel you are making a mistake going to North Dakota instead of South Dakota. We have been to the Black Hills area 4 times and the scenery is fabulous. This is the location of the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally with the attraction being the beautiful scenery and spectacular twisting roads. Custer State Park has tons of buffalo and antelope right on the road for easy viewing. Our favorite town is Keystone but Custer is also very nice. Mount Rushmore is right outside Keystone. Just don’t go in early August during bike week.

We love South Dakota and have been there with twice with “the beast” since we started RVing. First time was in 2010 and we went to the Black Hills, Custer, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse area. Fabulous! 2nd time (just this past year) we hit Rapid City. So we’re somewhat familiar with all the great sights there. This time around we’re ready to do another route and see another state.

Highlights from my travels. UP of Michigan. Houghton. Copper harbor. Pictured rocks area around munising. If you into history there is a place called Fayette. Close to garden mi. Asheville nc.The town is cool and the hiking around there is amazing. Waterfalls everywhere. Greenville sc is a great small town. Lots of nightlife in the downtown area. Old cities with history. Charleston sc and savannah ga. Hunting island state park in sc. The beach is eroding and the photo opportunities are amazing.
Safe travels

Such exciting travel plans for this year! It has been fun reading all the comments and very informative because we are also headed up to Canada this Summer!

If your travels north take you through the Cambria area we’d love to take you guys to lunch or dinner and share a few beers. Unfortunately, our place in the forest has too steep of a driveway to bring up the beast, otherwise we’d be offering you a spot to hang out. But, just a few miles north of Cambria is the San Simeon State Park (Washburn loop) with many large spots for your rig. It is close to a few dog-friendly hikes and beaches, yummy restaurants and even a lighthouse with elephant seals!
Anyway, if you make it up here and have time, we’d love to connect.

Hi,
I’m a long-time lurker and really enjoy your blog. The trip eastward sounds neat and, as I read, there are already many suggestions. If you decide to visit the Henry Ford (Museum and Greenfield Village) in Michigan, a good basic campground is at the Wayne County Fairgrounds http://waynecountyfairgrounds.net/ Nothing fancy, but the closest to Dearborn and Ford attractions.

Also, concur that the Michigan West coast is outstanding. Ernest Hemmingway spent some summers in the Petosky area and at least one of his novels is based in this area of Michigan

You’re missing New England in the Fall!
Sept-beginning of October head through Vermont, New Hampshire, and then Maine coast (Bar Harbor)
The foliage in the mountains and rocky Maine coast are beautiful that time of year and weather still mild before Winter sets in!

Glad to hear you’re visiting us in Canada! It is the perfect time for you to come and if you purchase a Parks Canada Discovery Pass in 2016, it will be valid for 24 months in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Canada’s confederation. It’s a great deal! We live in Calgary Alberta and never tire of our visits to the mountains. We travelled through Canada and the US last Fall and Winter over 5 months and had a fabulous trip! So much to see and such great memories. We hope you have the same experience “up” here!

Michigan has the best state parks! The only problem is that the residents know it! We had to do much more planning than normal to get to stay in them. Our very favorite is in the UP at Copper Harbor. We love it there BUT there aren’t any towers close for cells or wifi! There’s a mountain everyone drives up to use the signal!!! We went and sat at the edge of the water one night about midnight and I will never forget how Magic the sky was… More stars than I’d ever seen before! If you were there during the Perseids in August I cNt imagine how great it would be!

Hi Nina and Paul, I’m catching up on your blog reading as I’ve been out of touch a bit with some travels of my own.
Wow! What a divergence from the usual for you! Congrats, and it looks like a year full of fun travels and new experiences for you. How wonderful.
Washington: While you’re traveling your route they Washington, it seems you’ll be close to Leavenworth. One of my favorites here is the Icicle River Brewing Co. They make some enjoyable brews. This is always a fun visit and I’d highly recommend a stop, even if only for a day, or a half day. But if you have to much fun you’ll need those jello plans when you decide to stay another day or two. Lol!
As you continue north it will be a lot of fun to stop in Winthrop for a little trip into history. The town is like an old wild western movie town, with the false store fronts, wooded sidewalks, and log hand rails. Stop at the Old Schoolhoise Brewery for a bite and some great beers. I like the Ruud Awakening IPA.
Canada: It appears you’ll be going near Waterton NP in Canada on your entry route back into the US, so do visit Waterton NP. It the Canadian part of Glacier NP, and the 2 countries do work together, at least to some extent, to coma age the parks together, as the wildlife doesn’t recognize the imternational political boundaries that separate us.
Other than that, my visits to the neighbor’s up north are quite limited, so can’t offer much more.
Montana: if you’re entering Momtana from Waterton, on the east side of Glacier NP, I’d suggest staying at a campground/RV park in that area. I don’t recall its name, but I’ve stayed at a KOA campground near the east entrance of the park a few times and it was always good. You can drive the Going To The Sun Road in the toad from here, and spend an entire day if you like.
On the west side of the park, a agree with the Polebridge suggestion above. It’s an awesome drive and a really neat place to visit. I was there in the winter once, was driving the plowed open road north for a ways, until a moose on the road decided it was not going to move out of the way. Of course, with the snow plowed out so high on both sides of the road, it really didn’t have anywhere it could go. So I guess it viewed my pickup as a treat and began coming toward me. Luckily I was wise enough to have stopped well before the moose, so as it came toward me I just continued backing away, and finally got to a turn around and went back toward Polebridge.
Hwy 2 runs parallel to the south boundary of Glacier NP. This is an amazing drive that is not to be missed. I highly recommend it. You’ll be glad you did it.
When you on the east side of the park, outside park boundaries, you’re on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation. The main town here is Nrowning, Mt. Last I was there it was still not much of a town, kind of dumpy looking actually. But you can get some supplies, fuel, ect if needed. But the real treasure here is The Museum of The Plains Indians. It is said and written that this is the best museum of its type in the world, and it’s right at home on their reservation property. I’ve visited 2-3 times, and it is fascinating.
The last time I was there, the tribe was working on some other things for entertainment and interest, but I’m unaware of the outcome of those ideas and plans. It may be worth looking into whether there are othe opportunities here as well.
It looks like you’ll be following Hwy 2, primarily, so I’m not sure you get to Gtpreat Falls. But if you do, the Charloe Russel Miseum is a must see. Charlie lived the cowboy life in Montana, and became an extremely famous painter of the subject matter. Almost anyone could walk thru the museum and recognize some of his works. A very worthwhile stop.
All along the northern Montana part of your drive, you may watch for historical sites from early explorers, native Americans, fur traders, Cowboys, battle sites, ect. And the Lewis and Clark Expedition followed the Missoiri River nearby.
North Dakota: Theodore Roosevelt NP, as mentioned by others. An amazing park in the middle of nowhere, it seems almost out of place. But that is part of its magic, and the reason the former President saved it for all to see. Enjoy some time here.
If you get off the path a little, Mandan is a great place for some cultural history. This is where the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the first winter with the Mandan Indians on the banks of the Missouri River. There is an excellent site worthy of visiting, if you’re in the area. I’m not sure how far off your route this is tho.
There are a number of state and local parks along the Missouri River, othe waterways, lakes ect as you drive theu the state. Hopefully some will be on your route so you can take them in.
As mentioned, the Fort Peck dam and museum, with associated campground are interesting too.

When you travel through the UP of Michigan, be sure to sample the local culinary delight; a Pastie (pronounced pass – tee) Lot’s of good local micro brews but Bells beer is available throughout the state,

The MI pasties are a descendant of those Cornish pasties. The Cornish came to MI to work in the copper mines and brought their pastie recipe with them. I think the classic Cornish pastie is meat, turnip and potato. The MI pastie just substitutes rutabaga for the turnip.

We live in West Michigan and love many of the state parks. However, most of our favorites are on the west side of the state….wonderful sandy beaches and sunsets! The east side of the state tends to be more large cities and older/run down feel to it. We love the drive along the west cost including many small towns and scenic stops…. Ludington State Park is our #1 favorite with 3 campground loops to chose from along with both Lake Michigan beach and Hamlin Lake beach. Some of our other favorites are: Holland State Park (we live quite close), Hoffmaster State Park, Muskegon State Park, and Fort Custer State Park. Mackinac Island is a very nice day trip….
Fall colors in Michigan are spectacular if you can time it right!
Your travel map shows you going near Fall Creek Falls State Park in TN which is a must see! Plan a few days here….great overlooks etc.
If you change your plans and cut through Indiana, they have some very nice state parks as well. Turkey Run State Park (hiking & formations) is our favorite along with Spring Mill State Park.
Mammoth Cave in KY is another must see!

Check out Red River Gorge in KY, there’s RV camping nearby in Natural Bridge State Park. This area is a magnet for rock climbers but also has some great trails. Fall would be an excellent time to visit. Miguel’s Pizza is awesome and is dog friendly. Auxier Ridge/Double Arch loop, Gray’s Arch, Indian Staircase, Chimney Top and Princess Arch are all worth seeing.

Nothing wrong with the sunrise side of Michigan. Lots of lighthouses. Tawas point is great. The thumb is very nice. Be sure to have a pasty in the UP upper peninsula and try a Coney hot dog in the lower. Perch and white fish are good. Hope you have a great time.

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